Treatment of urgency by instillation of emepronium bromide in the urinary bladder

The possibility of a purely local action of intravesically instilled emepronium bromide (Cetiprin) was investigated. Subjective reports and simultaneous urethrocystometry were used to assess such effect. In order to ascertain the purely local nature of effect, the serum was analyzed for freely circulating emepronium ion at increasing intravesical concentrations. No adverse effects were found at the highest dosage (100 mg in 100 ml saline solution), and the concentrations in serum were very low or were not detectable. The seemingly promising influence on micturition frequency and urge prompted a double-blind study of 20 patients with chronic urgency. In ten of them 100 mg emepronium bromide in 100 ml saline solution was instilled intravesically, while the other ten received only the same volume of saline solution. The symptoms were relieved in eight of the ten patients given emepronium bromide. The observation time was one week. The therapeutic possibilities were further evaluated in 24 women with frequency and urgency with or without urge incontinence. Emepronium bromide was intravesically instilled in the mentioned concentration and, if the symptoms were not totally relieved, this was repeated at weekly intervals. The maximum number of instillations was four and the observation time after the final treatment was at least three weeks. Frequency and urgency disappeared in approximately 70% of the affected women, nocturia in 60%, but urge incontinence in only 30%. Both frequency and urgency therefore were therapeutically influenced by intravesical instillation of emepronium bromide.